WELCOME TO THIS Service of Thanksgiving for the Auckland Deaf Christian Fellowship

3. WELCOME TO THIS Service of Thanksgiving for the Auckland Deaf Christian Fellowship as the Fellowship officially becomes a Local Ecumenical Project Thursday 29th August 2013 at 1pm

4. Lighting the Candle God’s Light is with us

6. CALL TO WORSHIP

7. Leader: in the beginning, before time, before people, before the world began. People: GOD WAS Leader: Here and now, among us, beside us, calling the people of Earth for the work of Heaven. People: GOD IS

8. Leader: In the future, when things change; • People: GOD WILL BE • Leader: Encouraging and delighting in this world, not condemning it, but saving it through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit;

9. People: GOD WAS GOD IS GOD WILL BE AMEN. (From: ‘A Wee Book of Worship’, Wild Goose Worship Group)

11. Fill our sails, Wind of God, Launch us forth upon the sea Let us take the voyage of life, Face the journey yet to be. Fill our sail, wind of God, Raise the spray, the salted air, Give direction to our way, Joy, adventure, meet us there!

12. Fill our sails, Wind of God, As you did in Galilee, From the fear of earthly storms, Winds or waves come set us free. Fill our sails, wind of God, Brooding, hovering o’er the deep, Guide us in uncharted seas, From the rocks, in safety keep.

13. Fill our sails, Wind of God, Breeze of life, be ours today, Faith our mast, and Christ our keel, Wind of God, yours is the way. (By Norman E. Brookes)

15. WE SIGN/SAY TOGETHER: Our Father in Heaven, Holy is Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done On Earth as in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread Forgive us our sins, As we forgive those who sin against us. Do not bring us to the test But deliver us from evil, For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. AMEN

17. PRAYER

18. Leader: O God, our Creator, in your loving kindness you have brought us to a new day. United in your Son Jesus Christ, you strengthen us by your Holy Spirit. Take from us the burdens we carry. Forgive us the wrong we have done. Make us new in body, mind and spirit. Set us free to serve you, to care for your world and for each other.

19. All: Christ, by your love, you set us free to love and serve. Today we promise ourselves to following Christ • And to serving each other. Amen. • Leader: Holy Spirit, in love you hold us, encourage and care for us. • All:God forgives us and sets us free. Today we promiseto follow Christ and to serve one another. • Amen.

21. Celebrating The l.e.p.

22. Today, is a special day for us as the Auckland Deaf Christian Fellowship. Today, we celebrate the signing of the agreement creating this Local Ecumenical Project. The Agreement is between the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches on the one hand and the Auckland Deaf Christian Fellowship on the other. The Auckland Deaf Christian Fellowship is a church for Deaf, hearing impaired and deaf/blind people.

23. The Fellowship is made up of people from a variety of Christian Churches who want to worship and witness to their faith together. • We believe this Ecumenical project will help develop our mission in response to the needs of the people weseeks to serve, as we use the gifts that God has given us.

24. Together we will reach out to the wider Deaf community in the name of Jesus Christ. We also seek to work in partnership with other local churches. We give thanks that the Uniting Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand represented here today by the leaders of the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in the Auckland region, welcomes us as part of its life.

25. The Three Church Leaders Respond: We are here today to support ministry with Deaf people through this Local Ecumenical Project. We are here to acknowledge our agreement together. It is our prayer that you will continue to build this community of faith, that you will nourish those who gather for worship, and that you will also minister to the Deaf community in the wider Auckland region.

26. May your times of worship and fellowship together, be times of blessing for all who come amongst you. • By God’s grace may this day of new beginnings strengthen your journey together with Deaf people and the wider community.

28. INTRODUCTION TO

30. We pray together: Bless us, O God, in the journey we are starting on. Bless us, O God, as we travel together. Bless us, O God, as we move into your place for us. Bless us, O God, as you live in us all.

32. Ephesians 2: 19 -22?

33. Reflection?

35. Signs of Faith

36. ALL (Please Stand): We believe in God: Who has created and continues creating, Who has come in the true person, Jesus, To mend the broken hearted and make all things new. God works in us and other people by the Holy Spirit. We trust God. We are called to be in the church:

37. To celebrate God who is with us always, To love andserve others, To work for justice, And stop evil. To tell people about Jesus, Crucified and risen. Our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life Beyond death, God is with us. WE ARE NOT ALONE THANKS BE TO GOD.

40. LEADER: The Lord be with you. ALL: And also with you. LEADER: Lift up your hearts. ALL: We lift them up to the Lord. LEADER: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. ALL: It is right to give You thanks and praise.

41. MINISTER: With joy we give You thanks and praise for You are the giver of light and life. You made us and gave us the Earth to care for and enjoy. With all your people we give thanks for Jesus, who lived and died to give us life, and who gathers us together as one family. For this great love, we, with the whole of creation, join in praising your holy name.

42. ALL: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, you are God of Heaven and Earth. Glory to Jesus, your son, whose death we remember and resurrection we celebrate as we wait for him to return. Amen.

43. THE LAST SUPPER: The night before he died, Jesus, showed God’s great love for us. When he was at supper with his friends, Jesus took bread and gave thanks and praise to God. Then he broke the bread, gave it to his friends, and said, ‘Take this all of you and eat: it is my Body which is given for you.’

44. When the supper was finished, Jesus took the cup that was filled with wine. He praised God and gave it to his friends, saying to them, ‘This is the cup of the new and everlasting covenant (promise). It is my blood which is shed for you and for all people. Whenever you drink it, remember me.’

45. ALL: Christ has died Christ has risen Christ will come again in glory

46. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: MINISTER: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, and on these gifts of bread and wine. And as we eat them, though there are many of us, may we become one in Jesus.

47. ALL: We come to the table that You have made ready for us. We thank you for this bread and wine, your gifts of life in Christ. Look on us with your love, mercy and grace as we eat and drink believing that you will grow in us and we will grow in you. Amen.

48. MINISTER:Christ’s Body was given for us all, so that Christ’s life is our life. This is the table of Jesus Christ. It is the Lord who invites us to share in it. Come and receive the love of God, through Jesus, in the sharing of the bread and the wine.

49. Come in Faith. Come in freedom. Come to celebrate God’s love for you.